Draft regulator



.lume 24, 1941. Y

A. D. COLE DRAFT REGULATOR Fired oct. 19, 195s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Arthur'D; Cole Patented June 24, 1941 UNTED STATES PATENT 13 Claims.

My invention relates to draft regulators and has for an object toprovide an extremely compact structure by means of which the draft inchimneys may be automatically regulated.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a constructionhaving a minimum number of moving parts. p

A feature of the invention resides in providing a draft regulator inwhich the friction of the moving parts is a minimum.

An object of the invention resides in providing a draft regulatorutilizing a damper having oppositely extending parts arranged so thatthe pressure moment of each part is substantially the same whereby thedeposit of soot upon the damper does not destroy the balance of themoving parts.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a case having apassageway therein and in providing a wall structure within the caseforming a vane chamber and in providing a shaft having both a damper anda vane thereon, the vane being disposed within said vane chamber.

Another object of the invention resides in constructing the vane housingshorter than the transverse dimension of the case to leave unobstructedportions of the passageway situated adjacent the wall structure formingthe vane chamber and in constructing the damper with parts disposedwithin said portions of the passageway.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a neat and compactstructure adapted to occupy a minimum amount of space and to be readilyconnected in the smoke pipe of a heating plant.

A feature of the invention resides in providing the construction whichdoes not project appreciably beyond the confines of the smoke pipe.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterillustrated and/or described.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a draft regulator illustrating anembodiment of my invention and with parts cut away to show the interiorconstruction of the same.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. i is an elevational view of the structure shown inFig. 1 with aportion of the same broken away to illustrate the interior constructionof the invention.

Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

My invention comprises a case which 1 have indicated in its entirety bythe reference character A and which is constructed from sheet metal.This case is made in two parts designated by the reference numerals liland il. The part Il is constructed from a blank which is bent to form arounded bottom i2 and two spaced parallel side walls I3 and I4. The partlil is constructed to provide a top i5 which is raised at the center asindicated at l5. The raised portion it is arcuate in form and isconnected by short crescent-Shaped walls Il to the top proper i5. Thepart lil is-further formed with end walls i3 and i9 which areconstructed with semi-circular openings 2i concentric with the curvedbottom i2 of the case.

The part lil of case A is connected to the part l I4 as follows: formedalong the upper edges of the side walls I3 and M and along the ends ofthe said walls are outwardly extending flanges 22. On the correspondingedges of the part IU are lips 23 which are turned over the said ilangesand which are clinched thereon to hold the structure iirmly assembled.

By means of the construction of the case A a passageway 24 is formedtherein. The opening formed by the free end of the rounded bottom l2 andthe opening 2i, at one end oi the case, forms an inlet to the passagewayit and is indicated by the reference numeral 25. A similar constructionat the other end of the case is designated by the reference numeral 26and forms an outlet to said passageway.

For connecting the draft regulator to the smoke pipe of a heating plantthe following construction is employed. The length of the part ll of thecase A, forming the bottom l2 is considerably longer than the portion ofthe case disposed between the end walls It and it to providesemicircular extensions 2l, projecting therebeyond. Attached to the endwalls i3 and i9 are semicircular rings 28 which, together with theextensions 27, form nipples adapted to be telescoped with respect to theends of the pipe between which the draft regulator is to be mounted.

Extending transversely of the case A and the side walls i3 and I4 is ashaft 29. This shaft is journaled in bearings formed by drilling holesin the said side walls. The arcuate portion it of the top l5 is soconstructed that the axis of the same substantially coincides with theaxis of the shaft 29, for a purpose to be presently more fullydescribed.

- 24, 38 and 39 through the openings 42.

Within the interior of the case A is provided a wall structure,indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 3i. This wallstructure consists of two converging walls 32 and 33 and twosector-shaped parallel walls 3i and 35. The wall 33 is connected to theend wall I9 at the juncture of the ring 2S therewith and extends towardthe axis of the shaft 29. The wall 32 is similarly constructed and isconnected to the end wall I8 at a similar locality. Both of these wallsfall short of one another at the converging ends to leave a space 36therebetween. The two walls 34 and 35, in addition to being parallel toone another, are parallel to the side walls i3 and I4 of case A and arespaced from one another and :from said side walls to form in conjunctionwith the walls 32 and 33 and the various walls of the case a chamber 3'Iwithin the wall Structure 3! and to leave unobstructed portions of thepassageway 2d indicated at 38 and 39 which are disposed between saidwall structure and the side walls I3 and I4. The sector-shaped walls 313and 35 are connected at their edges to the crescentshaped walls Il andextend up to the arcuate portion I3 of the top I5.

In the wall 32 are formed louvers d! which provide openings l2 whichbring the chamber 3'! into communication with the passageway 2d at theinlet end of the draft regulator. In the upper portion of the end wall Iare provided openings 43 which bring the said chamber in communicationwith the atmosphere at the discharge end of the draft regulator.

Attached to the shaft 2Q is a damper 49 which has a semicircular partlil which nts loosely within the portion 3i! of passageway 25 of case Aopposite the wall structure 3l and which conforms to the shape of therounded bottom I2 of the case A when the damper is in vertical position.In addition this damper is constructed with two other rectangular-shapedparts 45 and i3 which extend up into the two portions 38 and 39 of thepassageway 2t and which conform to the shape of the said passagewaylying close to the walls I3, 33, 35 and Ill. The part 44 of damper i9issues from one side of the shaft 29 and the parts 45 and 43 issue inthe opposite direction and from the other side of the shaft. If desired,the damper parts i5 and i6 may be made integral with the damper partllLl.

Within the vane chamber 3l is disposed a vane 47. This vane may be madeintegral with the damper il@ or as a separate structure, if desired. Inthe drawings the said vane is shown as a separate plate which isconstructed with a groove 43 adapted to receive the shaft 29. Shaft 29and groove 48 are constructed with off-sets 49 which prevent rotation ofthe shaft with respect to the plate. The portion of the plate el' inwhich the groove i8 is formed overlies the damper 4U and is spot weldedor riveted thereto. By means of this construction the shaft 23 is xedlysecured to damper #i6 and the vane il and is also held from longitudinalor rotational movement with reference thereto.

The vane il? ts snugly between the walls 3a and 35 of the wall structure3l and the end of said vane travels in close proximity to the arcuateportion I3 of the top I5. It will be noted that the vane M divides thechamber 3l into two compartments, one being in communication with theatmosphere through the openings 43 and the other in communication withthe passageways The two damper parts d5 and 5,6 lie in the same plane asthe damper part it and together have a pressure moment substantiallyequal to the pressure moment of the damper part 44. By so constructingthe draft regulator the deposit of soot upon the damper does not destroythe balance and interfere with the operation of the device. The vane 4l'extends angularly from the plane of the damper fil) so that, when thedamper it projects transversely of the paSsagev/ays 2li, 38 and 39, thesaid vane is disposed at one end of its path of movement within thechamber 31 and so that, when the damper lies longitudinally with respectto the said passageways, the vane il is disposed at `the other end ofits path of movement within the chamber 3l.

Attached to one end of the shaft 29 is an arm 5I. This arm has securedto it a counter-weight 52. Shaft 23 and the arm 5I and counter-weight 52may be made of one piece of wire which is bent in the desired manner,the weight 52 being constructed by forming convolutions at the end ofthe said piece of wire. The other end of the shaft 29 has secured to ita sheave 53. This sheave may be of any suitable construction and hasattached to it a chain 5ft. Chain 55s carries an adjustablecounter-weight 55 consisting of a number of washers 56 attached to acotter key 5l which in turn is secured to the end of the chain 54. Thesheave ..3 is shown as being segmental in form and of thecircumferential extent of a semi-circle. This sheave is adapted toengage two stops 53 and 59 formed on a stamping 6I which is mounted onthe wall lf3 of case A. These stops limit the positions of the dampers119 to transverse and longitudinal.

The operation of the invention is as follows: In normal position, thevane l1 is to the right as viewed in Fig. 2 and the damper lieslongitudinally with respect to the passageway 2t. As the draft in thechimney increases, suction is created in the chamber 3l' to the left ofthe vane II and the said vane is gradually moved toward the left. As thevane so moves, the damper is swung into restraining position and theamount of gas passing by the damper is reduced. This reduces the suctiontending to move vane 4l' to the left and a balance is reached whichpermits a certain amount of gas to pass through the regulator in a giventime. As the draft in the chimney varies, the suction on the vane 4Tcorrespondingly varies and the degree of opening and closing of thedamper is controlled accordingly. In this man ner the flow of gasthrough the draft regulator may be maintained substantially uniform. Byadjusting the number of washers of weight 55 any degree of draft can bemaintained in the smoke pipe with which the draft regulator isconnected.

The advantages of my invention are manifest. An extremely compactstructure is provided. The draft regulator may be constructed at anextremely low cost. The device operates with a minimum amount offriction. There being but one shaft and one moving unit, the device isnot apt to get out of order and will function indenitely withoutattention. Due to the arranging of one-half of the damper on one side ofthe shaft and the other one-half on the other side of the shaft,accumulation of soot on the damper parts does not affect the operationof the invention. The device operates without removal of air from theroom in which it is installed. The draft regulator is fairly short andprojects a minimum amount beyond the coni-mes of the pipe with which itis associated so that the regulator may be installed in crowdedquarters.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, maybe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from` thespirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

l. A draft regulator comprising a case constructed with side walls andhaving a passageway therethrough, a shaft extending transversely of saidside walls and disposed within said case, a wall structure forming asector-cylindrical shaped chamber within said case with its vertexsubstantially at the axis of said shaft and spaced from said side wallsto leave unobstructed, portions of said passageway between said wallstructure and the side walls of the case, a damper in said passagewayhaving a part issuing from one side of said shaft, and other partsdisposed in the portion of the passageway between said wall structureand side walls and issuing from the other side of said shaft, saidsecond named damper parts being disposed so that the pressure momentthereof opposes the pressure moment of said first named damper part, avane issuing from said shaft and disposed within said chamber betweensaid second named damper parts, said chamber being in communication withthe atmosphere on one side of the vane and in communication with saidpassageway on the other side of said vane, said damper and vane beinghired relative to one another and said damper and vane being angularlydisposed so that movement of the vane from normal position to operativeposition moves the damper from open to obstructing position, and acounterweight carried by the shaft to balance the vane.

2. A draft regulator comprising a case oon-- structed with side wallsand a top having an arcuate portion, said case having a passagewaytherethrough, a shaft extending transversely of said side walls anddisposed within said case, two converging walls within said caseconnected to the top at the arcuate portion thereof and approaching oneanother substantially at lthe axis of said shaft, sector-cylindricalshaped walls connected with said converging walls to form asector-cylindrical shaped chamber within said walls, said sector shapedwalls being spaced from said side walls to leave unobstructed, portionsof said passageway between said sector shaped walls and the `side wallsof the case, a damper in said passageway having a part issuing from oneSide of said shaft, and other parts disposed in the portion of thepassageway between said wall structure and side walls and issuing fromthe other side of said shaft, said second named damper parts beingdisposed so that the pressure moment thereof opposes the pressure momentof said first named damper part, a vane issuing from said shaft anddisposed within said chamber and between said last named damper parts,said chamber being in communication with the atmosphere on one side ofthe vane and in communication with said passageway on the other side ofsaid vane, said damper and vane being fixed relative to one another andsaid damper and vane being angularly disposed so that movement of thevane from normal position to operative position moves the damper fromopen to obstructing position, and a counterweight carried by the shaftto balance the vane.

3. A draft regulator comprising a case constructed with side walls andhaving a passageway therethrough, a shaft extending transversely of saidside walls and disposed within said case, a

wall structure comprising two walls parallel with said side walls andspaced from one another and from said side walls, means forming inconjunction with said two parallel walls a chamber therebetween havingan arcuate surface concentric with said shaft, said parallel wallsleaving unobstructed, portions of the passageway between said parallelwalls and the side walls of the case, a damper in said passageway havinga part issuing from one side of said shaft and other parts in saiddenoted portions of the passageway issuing from the other side of saidshaft, said second named damper parts being disposed so that thepressure moment thereof opposes the pressure moment of said first nameddamper part, a vane issuing from said shaft and disposed within saidchamber, said vane traveling along said arcuate surface and adjacentsaid parallel walls, said chamber being in communication with theatmosphere on one side of the vane and in communication with said passageway on the other side of said vane, said damper and vane being fixedrelative to one another and said damper and vane being angularlydisposed so that movement of the vane from normal position to operativeposition moves the damper from open to obstructing position, and acounterweight carried by the shaft to baiance the vane.

4. A draft regulator comprising a case constructed with side walls and atop having an arcuate portion at the center of the same, said casehaving a passageway therethrough, a shaft extending transversely of saidside walls and disposed within said case at the axis of said arcuateportion, a pair of sector shaped parallel walls connected to saidarcuate portion and having their vertexes disposed substantially at theaxis of said shaft, a pair of converging wails connected to the edges ofsaid parallel walls, said parallel walls and converging walls formingwith the top of said case a sector-cylindrical chamber, a damper in saidpassageway having a part issuing from one side of said shaft, and otherparts issuing from the other side of said shaft and disposed betweensaid side walls and said parallel walls, said second named damper partsbeing disposed so that thel pressure moment thereof opposes the pressuremoment. of said first named damper part, a vane issuing from said shaftand disposed within said chamber, said vane following along the arcuateportion of the case and along the paraliel walls, said chamber being incommunication with the atmosphere on one side of the vane and one ofsaid converging walls being provided with an opening for bringing saidchamber on the other side of said vane in communication with saidpassageway, said damper and vane being fixed relative to one another andsaid damper and vane being angularly disposed so that movement of thevane from normal position to operative position moves the damper fromopen to obstructing position, and a counterweight carried by the shaftto balance the vane.

5. A draft regulator comprising a case constructed with side walls, endwalls and a top having an arcuate portion in the center of 'the same,said oase having a passageway therein, a shaft extending transversely ofsaid side walls and disposed within said case substantially at the axisof the arcuate portion of the top thereof, two parallel sector shapedwalls connected with the arcuate portion of said top and having theirverteXes substantially at the axis of said shaft and spaced from theside walls, two converging walls connected to the end walls of said caseand to said sector shaped walls and forming with said sector shapedwalls and the top of the case a sector-cylindrical shaped chamber,adamper in said passageway having a part issuing from one side of saidshaft and other parts issuing from the other side of said shaft anddisposed between said side walls and said parallel walls, said secondnamed damper parts being disposed so that the pressure moment thereofopposes the pressure moment of said first named damper part, a vaneissuing from said shaft and disposed within said chamber, said vanefollowing along the arcuate portion of the case and along the parallelwalls, one of said converging walls having an opening therein forbringing said chamber on one side of said vane into communication withsaid passageway, the end wall of the case opposite said denotedconverging wall having an opening therein outwardly of the walls of thecase defining said passageway and disposed within the confines of saidparallel walls for bringing said chamber into communication with theatmosphere on the other side of said vane, said damper and vane beingxed relative to one another and said damper and vane being angularlydisposed so that movement of the vane from normal position to operativeposition moves the damper from open to obstructing position, and acounterweight carried by the shaft to balance the vane.

6. A draft regulator comprising a case constructed from sheet metal andincluding a blank formed to provide a rounded bottom and two parallelside walls connected therewith, and a second blank formed to provide atop having an arcuate portion and end walls connected with said sidewalls, a shaft extending transversely of said side walls, a wallstructure within said case forming in conjunction with the arcuateportion of said top a sector-shaped chamber having its vertexsubstantially at the axis of said shaft, a damper within said casecarried by said shaft and disposed exteriorly of said chamber, a vanewithin said chamber and carried by said shaft, said damper and vanebeing fixed relative to one another and said damper and vane beingangularly disposed so that movement of the vane from normal position tooperative position moves the damper from open to obstructing position,and a counter-weight carried by the shaft to balance the vane.

7. A draft regulator comprising a case constructed from sheet metal andincluding a blank formed to provide a rounded bottom and two parallelside walls connected therewith, and a second blank formed to provide atop having an arcuate portion and end walls connected with said sidewalls, a sha-ft extending transversely of said side walls, a wallstructure within said case forming in conjunction with said arcuate topa sector shaped wall having its vertex substantially at the axis of saidshaft, a damper within said case carried by said shaft and disposedexteriorly of said chamber, a vane within said chamber and carried bysaid shaft and a nipple formed partly by said curved bottom and partlyby a part carried by said end wall, said damper and vane being fixedrelative to one another and said damper and vane being angularlydisposed so that movement of the vane from normal position to operativeposition moves the damper from open to obstructing position, and accunterweight carried by the shaft to balance the vane.

8. A draft regulator comprising a case having a passageway therethrough,a shaft in said case extending transversely of said passageway, a

damper on said shaft having two spaced parts and situated within saidpassageway, a wall structure disposed between said damper parts andproviding a vane chamber communicating with the exterior at one localityand with said passageway at another locality, a vane on said shaftdisposed between the damper parts and within said vane chamber andsubject to atmospheric pressure on one side and iiue gas pressure on theother side, said damper and vane being fixed relative to one another andsaid damper and vane being angularly disposed so that movement of thevane from normal position to operative position moves the damper fromopen to obstructing position, and a counterweight carried by the shaftto balance the vane.

9. A draft regulator comprising a case constructed with side walls andhaving a straight passageway therethrough, a shaft extendingtransversely of said side walls and arranged with its axis substantiallyat right angles to the direction of extent of said passageway anddisposed within said case, a wall structure forming a sector-cylindricalshaped chamber within said case with its vertex substantially at theaxis of said shaft, said chamber being symmetrical with reference to aplane through the axis of said shaft and transverse of the axis of saidpassageway, a damper in said passageway carried by said shaft, a vane insaid sector shaped chamber issuing from said shaft, said chamber beingin communication with the atmosphere on one side of the vane and incommunication with said passageway on the other side of said vane, saiddamper and vane being fixed relative to one another and said damper andvane being angularly disposed so that movement of the vane from normalposition to operative position moves the damper from open to obstructingposition, and a counterweight carried by the shaft to balance the vane.

10. A draft regulator comprising a case constructed with spaced parallelside walls, a tcp and a bottom connecting the same and forming therewitha passageway, said bottom and top being constructed to make thepassageway semi-circular in cross section at the lower portion of thesame and rectangular in cross section at the upper portion of the same,a pair of walls disposed within the case and parallel with said sidewalls, converging Walls connected thereto, said second named parallelwalls and converging walls forming Within the case a chamber ofrectangular cross section disposed in the rectangular portion of thepassageway, a shaft extending transversely of the side walls and havingits axis disposed substantially at the locality of convergence of saidconverging walls, a damper having al semi-circular part issuing .fromsaid shaft on one side thereof and disposed in the semi-circular portionof said passageway, said damper having a pair of rectangular-shapedparts extending from said shaft on the opposite side thereof anddisposed within the rectangular portion of said passageway, said secondnamed damper parts being disposed so that the pressure moment thereofopposes the pressure moment of said semi-circular damper part, a vaneissuing from said shaft and disposed within said chamber between saidsecond named damper parts, said chamber being in communication with theatmosphere on one side of the vane and in communication with saidpassageway on the other side of said vane, said damper and vane beingfixed relative to one another and said damper and vane being angularlydisposed so that movement of the vane from normal position to operativeposition moves the damper from open to obstructing position, and acounterweight carried by the shaft to balance the vane.

1l. A draft regulator comprising a case constructed with spaced parallelside walls, a top and a bottom connecting the same and forming therein apassageway, said bottom and top being constructed to make the passagewaysemi-circular in cross section at the lower portion of the same andrectangular in cross section at the upper portion of the same, a pair ofparallel walls disposed within the case and parallel with said sidewalls, converging walls connected thereto, said second named parallelwalls and converging walls forming within the case a chamber ofrectangular cross section disposed in the rectangular portion of thepassageway, a shaft extending transversely of the side walls and havingits axis disposed substantially at the locality of convergence of saidconverging walis, a damper having a semi-circular part issuing from saidshaft on one side thereof and disposed in the semi-circular portion ofsaid passageway, said damper having a pair of rectangular-shaped partsextending from said shaft on the opposite side thereof and disposedwithin the rectangular portion of said passageway, said second nameddamper parts being disposed so that the pressure moment thereof opposesthe pressure moment of said semi-circular damper part, a vane issuingfrom said shaft and disposed within said chamber between said secondnamed damper parts, said chamber being in communication with theatmosphere on one side of the vane and in communication with saidpassageway on the other side of said vane, said damper and vane beingfixed relative to one another and said damper and vane being angularlydisposed so that movement of the vane from normal position to operativeposition moves the damper from open to obstructing position, thedistance from said shaft to the outermost portion of said top of thecase being greater than the distance between the shaft and the lowermostportion of the case to give sufficient length to the second named damperparts to cause the moment thereof to balance the moment of the rst nameddamper parts, and a counterweight carried by the shaft to balance thevane.

12. A draft regulator comprising a case constructed with side walls andhaving a passageway therethrough, a shaft extending transversely of saidside walls and disposed within said case, a wall structure forming asector-cylindrical shaped chamber within said case with its vertexsubstantially at the axis of said shaft and spaced from said side wallsto leave unobstructed, portions of the passageway between said wallstructure and the side walls of the case, a damper in said passagewayhaving a part issuing from one side of said shaft, and other partsdisposed in the portions of the passageway between said wall structureand side Walls and issuing from the other side of said shaft, saidsecond named damper parts being disposed so that the pressure momentthereof opposes the pressure moment of said first named damper part, avane issuing from said shaft and disposed within said chamber betweensaid second named damper parts, said chamber being in communication withthe atmosphere on one side of the vane and in communication with saidpassageway on the other side of said vane, said damper and vane beingxed relative to one another and said damper and vane being angularlydisposed so that movement of the vane from normal position to operativepositions moves the damper from open to obstructing position, thecombined longitudinal extent of said second named damper parts and vanebeing substantially equal to the longitudinal extent of said first nameddamper part, and a counterweight carried by the shaft to balance thevane.

i3. In combination, a case providing a passageway for flue gases, a wallstructure forming a sector-cylindrical shaped chamber of shorter lengththan the transverse dimension of the case projecting into the passagewaywith its vertex crosswise thereof and spaced from the case, said chambercommunicating with the passageway at one radial surface and with theatmosphere at the other radial surface, a shaft extending transverselyof the passageway at the vertex of the chamber, a vane carried by theshaft and oscillable within the chamber about the vertex thereof, adamper carried by the shaft at a fixed angle with respect to the vaneand having a part disposed in the portion of the passageway on the sideof the shaft opposite the chamber and having two parts disposed in theportions of the passageway situated on the other side of the shaft andbetween the chamber and case, said second named parts being constructedso that the pressure moment thereon opposes the pressure moment on thefirst named part of said damper, a counterweight carried by the shaft tobalance the weight of the vane, said damper and vane being fixedrelative to one another and said dampers and vane being angularlydisposed so that movement of the vane from normal position to operativeposition moves the damper from open to obstructing position.

ARTHUR D. COLE.

